Egg-citing News on the Egg Front

By Ron Eichner

Hey folks, while February may be the shortest month of the year, it is a busy month for most family farms. We are in the midst of planning, ordering, and preparing for the upcoming growing season. February 2 is Groundhog Day. We all know that Punxsutawney Phil hardly misses an accurate prediction. February 14 is Valentine’s Day, and it’s a time to celebrate romantic love, friendship, and admiration. We wish all of you a blessed Valentine’s Day.

Interestingly, the nutritionally wholesome egg was grossly attacked 60+ years ago, supported by fake science, and now we have three to five generations of people who think that eggs are evil. The seed was set by the FDA as it pushed a low-fat/high-carb diet, truly to get more cereal on the breakfast table and attack eggs.

The old saying goes, “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Lo and behold, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated regulations, and healthy eggs can be promoted in the same sentence. The FDA updated the definition of a healthy claim on December 27, 2024. The FDA created the new definition using current nutritional science and federal guidelines for Americans. Additionally, the definition determines when the claim “healthy” can be used as an implied nutrient content on food labels. This news makes eggs a clear, healthy choice, vindicating them from outdated science 60+ years ago. The FDA’s announcement reaffirms the egg’s role in supporting the health of American families, with nutritional benefits for everyone.

 Eggs are the primary food source for complete protein and hence are a great source of high-quality protein and they contribute nutrients to the diet that Americans don’t get enough of, like vitamin D and choline. Cholesterol in eggs does not negatively impact the body’s cholesterol levels, as previously stated 60 years ago. Interestingly, the American Heart Association now promotes eggs as part of a healthy diet for healthy adults. Hopefully, Americans will know that eggs are one of the most nutritious foods for your family.

We applaud the FDA for this critical update. Americans now know for certain that eggs are one of the healthiest complete foods for their families. I wonder how long it will take for the medical community to finally change their own guidelines to reflect the findings supported by the FDA.

The new healthy rule is that one can’t have more than 2% of the recommended daily amount of sugar and promotes eating whole foods that have not gone through a process that could remove nutritional values. The previous rule did not require a product to be low in added sugar to be labeled healthy. Most food companies object to the new regulations and standards because foods labeled “healthy” are now barred from being healthy because of the sugar content. Very few cereals and yogurts on grocery shelves meet the added sugar levels. The final rule represents the first update to the definition of “healthy” in 30 years and is again drafted to reflect current nutritional science and federal guidelines.

The whole egg is the number one source for complete protein, whether it was 60 plus years ago or now. Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids. Essential means the body cannot produce these amino acids on its own, which is why we need to include them in our diets.

  Our family farm laying hens produce high-energy eggs by ingesting our exclusive nutritionally fortified laying feed. The average whole egg has all essential amino acids, 14 minerals, two antioxidants, and vitamins except C. I like to say, “It is the original multi-vitamin designed by God and encapsulated in an eggshell. Our exclusive laying feed has a bunch of extra nutritional values. Adding ground sea kelp meal to our laying feed offers 60 track minerals to our eggs, which increases the nutritional value of our eggs.

As a fourth-generation farmer and a farm family, the government is the last place to seek a solution. Governments have a history of creating regulations, rules, and guidelines that are questionable at best. Eggs were attacked over 60 years ago by a lack of nutritional science, and now, going full circle, the eggs can be promoted as “healthy” again. If you want a “breakfast of champions,” stop by our farm market and support our laying hens throughout the year and enjoy the nutritional fortified, high-energy eggs that are a healthy alternative for a high-carb diet for breakfast. Our laying hens are working and laying eggs seven days a week, and our farm market is open seven days a week for all of our year-round farm efforts.

Stay tuned for the upcoming months, which will be filled with changes in guidelines that will continue to make eating eggs healthy and support the foundation for a healthy society. Updating on the Avian flu is for future insight.

Our laying hens and our family farm are nestled in a valley. We work daily to support our community and year-round customers with a destination to seek nutritional products to promote healthy lifestyles. Open seven days a week, we welcome you all to visit Eichner’s Whole Farm and Greenhouses at 285 Richard Road, Wexford, to experience farm-fresh and discover “the rest of the story.”